TWM573840U - Optical communication module - Google Patents

Abstract

An optical communication module includes a substrate, a light source, a reflective lens assembly, a reflective layer, a carrier plate, a grating and an optical waveguide. The light source and the reflective lens assembly are disposed on the substrate, and the reflective lens assembly is integrally formed. The reflective lens assembly includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a reflective surface. The light incident surface includes a convex surface facing the light source. The light exit surface includes a convex surface located in a through hole of the substrate. The reflective surface connects the light incident surface and the light exit surface. The grating and the optical waveguide are disposed on the carrier plate. The grating is located between the through hole and the carrier plate, and the reflective lens assembly and the grating are located at opposite sides of the through hole, respectively.

Description

Optical communication module

The disclosure relates to a communication module, and in particular to an optical communication module.

With the development of the communication industry and the demand of users for communication speed, optical communication technology has gradually become the mainstream of the market. The traditional optical communication technology mainly uses the edge coupling between the optical fiber and the light source and between the optical fiber and the optical sensor to derive and introduce the optical signal. However, this edge-coupling technique requires precise alignment. A slight deviation between the relative positions of the components is likely to cause signal attenuation, so that the manufacturing time and manufacturing cost of the optical communication module cannot be reduced more effectively.

The present disclosure provides an optical communication module that has a good alignment effect and reduces light loss, and can reduce manufacturing time and cost.

An optical communication module of the present disclosure includes a substrate, a light source, a mirror group, a reflective layer, a carrier, a grating, and an optical waveguide. The substrate has a through hole. The light source is disposed on the substrate. The mirror group is disposed on the substrate, and the mirror group is integrally formed. The mirror group includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a reflective surface. The illuminating surface includes a convex surface facing the light source. The illuminating surface includes a convex surface located in the through hole. The reflecting surface includes a slope connected to the light surface and the light exit surface. The reflective layer is disposed on the inclined surface of the reflective surface. The light source and the carrier are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate. The grating is disposed on the carrier, wherein the grating is located between the through hole and the carrier, and the mirror group and the grating are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole. The optical waveguide is disposed on the carrier and coupled to the grating.

Another optical communication module disclosed herein includes a carrier, an optical waveguide, a mirror group, a reflective layer, a circuit board, and a photo sensor. The carrier has a through hole. The optical waveguide is disposed on the carrier. The mirror set is disposed on the carrier and the mirror set is integrally formed. The mirror group includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a reflective surface. The light incident surface includes a convex surface facing the optical waveguide. The illuminating surface includes a convex surface located in the through hole. The reflecting surface includes a slope connected to the light surface and the light exit surface. The reflective layer is disposed on the inclined surface of the reflective surface. The optical waveguide and the circuit board are respectively located on opposite sides of the carrier. The photo sensor is disposed on the circuit board, wherein the photo sensor is located between the through hole and the circuit board, and the mirror group and the photo sensor are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, the figures depict typical features of the methods, structures, and/or materials used in the particular exemplary embodiments. However, the drawings are not limited to the structures or features of the following embodiments, and the drawings are not to be construed as limiting or limiting the scope or properties covered by the exemplary embodiments. For example, the relative thickness and location of layers, regions, and/or structures may be reduced or enlarged for clarity.

The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc., are only directions referring to the additional schema. Therefore, the directional terminology used is for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. In the following embodiments, the same or similar elements will be designated by the same or similar numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

1 to 6 are partial cross-sectional views of an optical communication module according to first to sixth embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the optical communication module 100 of the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a substrate 110 , a light source 120 , a mirror group 130 , a reflective layer 140 , a carrier 150 , a grating 160 , and an optical waveguide 170 . The substrate 110 has a through hole TH. The light source 120 is disposed on the substrate 110. The mirror group 130 is disposed on the substrate 110, and the mirror group is integrally formed. The mirror group 130 includes a light incident surface S1, a light exit surface S2, and a reflective surface S3. The light incident surface S1 includes a convex surface S11 facing the light source 110. The light exit surface S2 includes a convex surface S21 located in the through hole TH. The reflecting surface S3 includes a slope S31 that is connected to the light surface S1 and the light exit surface S2. The reflective layer 140 is disposed on the inclined surface S31 of the reflective surface S3. The light source 120 and the carrier 150 are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate 110. The grating 160 is disposed on the carrier 150, wherein the grating 160 is located between the through hole TH and the carrier 150, and the mirror group 130 and the grating 160 are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole TH. The optical waveguide 170 is disposed on the carrier 150 and coupled to the grating 160.

In detail, the substrate 110 is adapted to carry the light source 120 and the mirror set 130. For example, the substrate 110 is a germanium substrate, but is not limited thereto.

Light source 120 is adapted to output light beam LS1. For example, the light source 120 includes a laser light source, but is not limited thereto.

The mirror set 130 is a one-piece reflector. For example, the mirror group 130 may be entirely made of N-BK7, sapphire or samarium, but the material of the mirror group 130 is not limited thereto. In geometry, mirror set 130 can be considered to consist of one turn and two plano-convex lenses.

In the mirror group 130, the convex surface S11 of the light incident surface S1 is adapted to concentrate the light beam LS1 from the light source 120. That is, the light beam LS1 from the light source 120 enters the mirror group 130 via the convex surface S11 of the light incident surface S1. According to different requirements, the convex surface S11 of the light incident surface S1 may be a spherical surface or an aspheric surface.

The light beam LS1 entering the mirror group 130 is then transmitted to the slope S31 of the reflecting surface S3. The reflective layer 140 disposed on the slope S31 can reflect the light beam LS1 transmitted to the slope S31, and the reflected light beam LS2 exits the mirror group 130 from the light exit surface S2. The material of the reflective layer 140 can be metal or other high reflectivity material.

The convex surface S21 of the light-emitting surface S2 determines the beam size of the light beam LS2 output from the mirror group 130. According to different requirements, the convex surface S21 of the light-emitting surface S2 may be spherical or aspherical. Further, the convex surface S21 of the light-emitting surface S2 and the convex surface S11 of the light-incident surface S1 may have different curvatures or the same curvature.

In the present embodiment, the light-emitting surface S2 includes a support surface S22 in addition to the curved surface S21. The support surface S22 is connected to the convex surface S21 of the light surface S2 and the inclined surface S31 of the reflection surface S3, and the support surface S22 is supported on the substrate 110. The design of the support surface S22 helps the substrate 110 to support the mirror set 130. The angle θ between the support surface S22 and the slope S31 is the inclination angle of the reflection surface S3. The angle θ can be 45 degrees, but is not limited thereto.

The carrier 150 is adapted to carry the grating 160 and the optical waveguide 170. For example, the carrier 150 is a photonic integrated circuit substrate, but is not limited thereto.

The grating 160 is adapted to receive the light beam LS2 from the convex surface S21 of the light exiting surface S2 such that the light beam LS2 can be coupled into the optical waveguide 170 and transmitted to the optical waveguide 170 via total reflection. For example, grating 160 includes a plurality of columnar structures. These columnar structures are arranged along the first direction D1, and these columnar structures respectively extend in the second direction D2. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are perpendicular to each other, but are not limited thereto.

The light beam LS1 from the light source 120 is transmitted to the grating 160 by the mirror group 130, and the light beam LS2 is led out by the optical waveguide 170 coupled to the grating 160. The optical communication module 100 can have a large alignment tolerance. ). In addition, the formation of the mirror group 130 consisting of 稜鏡 and two plano-convex lenses in an integrally formed manner, in addition to helping to reduce manufacturing time and manufacturing costs, also avoids light loss caused by the light beam at the interface. In addition, accommodating the protruding light exit surface S2 through the through hole TH of the substrate 110 helps to reduce the overall thickness of the optical communication module 100.

The optical communication module 100 may further include other components, such as an optical modulator and a light sensor for monitoring light intensity, etc., but not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the main difference between the optical communication module 100A of the second embodiment of the present disclosure and the optical communication module 100 of FIG. 1 is that the optical communication module 100A further includes a clamping member 180 . In detail, the clamping member 180 is disposed on the reflective layer 140, and the reflective layer 140 is located between the mirror assembly 130 and the clamping member 180. The arrangement of the clips 180 causes the clips 180 to form a cube with the mirror set 130, thereby improving the convenience of gripping.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the main difference between the optical communication module 100B of the third embodiment of the present disclosure and the optical communication module 100 of FIG. 1 is that the convex surface S11 of the light incident surface S1 in the optical communication module 100B is designed to be aspherical. In order to effectively enhance the focusing effect of the light beam LS1 and reduce the optical path of the light beam LS1, the volume of the optical communication module 100B can be effectively reduced.

Referring to FIG. 4, the main differences between the optical communication module 100C of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure and the optical communication module 100 of FIG. 1 are as follows. In the optical communication module 100C, the substrate 110C includes a plurality of positioning portions 111 and a plurality of first alignment portions 112. Further, the carrier 150C includes a plurality of second alignment portions 152.

In detail, the plurality of positioning portions 111 and the plurality of first alignment portions 112 are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate 110C. The mirror group 130 is fixed to the substrate 110 by a plurality of positioning portions 111. Further, the substrate 110C and the carrier 150C are aligned with each other by the plurality of first alignment portions 112 and the plurality of second alignment portions 152, respectively.

It should be noted that the number of each of the positioning portion 111, the first alignment portion 112, and the second alignment portion 152 and the setting position may be changed as needed, and are not limited to those shown in FIG. In addition, any of the embodiments listed in the present disclosure may perform the above improvements (further including the positioning portion and/or the alignment portion) as needed, and will not be further described below.

Referring to FIG. 5, the main difference between the optical communication module 100D of the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure and the optical communication module 100 of FIG. 1 is that the optical communication module 100 is a Transmitter Optical Assembly, and the optical communication is performed. The module 100D is a Receiver Optical Assembly.

Specifically, the optical communication module 100D includes a carrier 150D, an optical waveguide 170D, a mirror group 130, a reflective layer 140, a circuit board 192, and a photo sensor 190. The carrier 150D has a through hole THD. The optical waveguide 170D is disposed on the carrier 150D. The mirror group 130 is disposed on the carrier 150D. For the related content of the mirror group 130 and the reflective layer 140, please refer to the foregoing, and details are not described herein again. The optical waveguide 170D and the circuit board 192 are respectively located on opposite sides of the carrier 150D. The photo sensor 190 is disposed on the circuit board 192, wherein the photo sensor 190 is located between the through hole THD and the circuit board 192, and the mirror group 130 and the photo sensor 190 are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole THD.

In detail, the carrier 150D is adapted to carry the optical waveguide 170D and the mirror group 130. For example, the carrier 150D can be an integrated optical substrate, but is not limited thereto. The optical waveguide 170D is adapted to direct an optical signal (such as the light beam LSA) to the optical communication module 100D. The light sensor 190 is adapted to receive an optical signal (such as a light beam LSB).

In an embodiment, the optical communication module 100D can optionally include the clamping member 180 of FIG. In addition, the convex surface S11 and the convex surface S21 in the optical communication module 100D may be spherical or aspherical, and the convex surface S11 and the convex surface S21 may have different curvatures or the same curvature.

According to different requirements, the optical communication module 100D may further include other components, such as a multiplexer (Mux)/demultiplexer (DeMux) and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), but not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 6, the main differences between the optical communication module 100E of the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure and the optical communication module 100D of FIG. 5 are as follows. In the optical communication module 100E, the carrier 150E includes a plurality of positioning portions 151 and a plurality of first alignment portions 152E, and the positioning portions 151 and the first alignment portions 152E are respectively located on opposite sides of the carrier 150E. The mirror group 130 can be fixed on the carrier 150E through the positioning portions 151; correspondingly, the circuit board 192E includes a plurality of second alignment portions 194, and the carrier 150E and the circuit board 192E pass through the first alignment portions 152E, respectively. These second alignment portions 194 are aligned with each other.

In an embodiment, the optical communication module 100E can optionally include the clamping member 180 of FIG. In addition, the convex surface S11 and the convex surface S21 in the optical communication module 100E may be spherical or aspherical, and the convex surface S11 and the convex surface S21 may have different curvatures or the same curvature.

According to different requirements, the optical communication module 100E may further include other components, such as a multiplexer/demultiplexer and a transimpedance amplifier, but is not limited thereto.

In summary, in the optical communication module of the present disclosure, the conventional edge coupling can be improved by the arrangement of the mirror, and the alignment tolerance can be large. In addition, the mirror set uses a one-piece reflector to avoid light loss from the interface at the interface compared to the combined mirror. In addition, the formation of the via holes in the substrate/carrier plate helps to reduce the overall thickness of the optical communication module, and the through holes can also be used to fix the mirror group. In an embodiment, the convenience of the gripping can be improved by providing a gripping member on the reflecting surface. In another embodiment, the convex surface of the light incident surface can be designed to be aspherical to effectively reduce the volume of the optical communication module. In yet another embodiment, the substrate/carrier in the optical communication module can have a positioning portion that assists in securing the mirror assembly. In addition, the substrate and the carrier (or carrier and circuit board) may have corresponding alignment portions to increase assembly convenience, reduce alignment difficulties, and shorten alignment time.

The present disclosure has been disclosed in the above embodiments, but it is not intended to limit the disclosure, and any person skilled in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The scope of protection of this disclosure is subject to the definition of the scope of the appended claims.

100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E‧‧‧ optical communication modules

110‧‧‧Substrate

111, 151‧‧ ‧ Positioning Department

112, 152E‧‧‧ first position

120‧‧‧Light source

130‧‧‧Mirror group

140‧‧‧reflective layer

150, 150D, 150E‧‧‧ carrier board

152, 194‧‧‧ Second Counterpart

160‧‧‧Raster

170, 170D‧‧‧ optical waveguide

180‧‧‧Clamping parts

190‧‧‧Light sensor

192, 192E‧‧‧ circuit board

D1‧‧‧ first direction

D2‧‧‧ second direction

LS1, LS2, LSA, LSB‧‧‧ beams

S1‧‧‧ into the glossy surface

S11, S21‧‧ ‧ convex

S2‧‧‧ shiny surface

S22‧‧‧ support surface

S3‧‧‧reflecting surface

S31‧‧‧ Bevel

TH, THD‧‧‧ Through Hole

Θ‧‧‧ angle

1 to 6 are partial cross-sectional views of an optical communication module according to first to sixth embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims (10)

An optical communication module includes: a substrate having a through hole; a light source disposed on the substrate; a mirror group disposed on the substrate, wherein the mirror group is integrally formed, the mirror group includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a reflective surface, the light incident surface includes a convex surface facing the light source, the light emitting surface includes a convex surface in the through hole, and the reflective surface includes connecting the light incident surface and the a slope of the light-emitting surface; a reflective layer disposed on the slope of the reflective surface; a carrier, wherein the light source and the carrier are respectively located on opposite sides of the substrate; a grating disposed on the carrier, wherein The grating is located between the through hole and the carrier, and the mirror group and the grating are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole; and an optical waveguide is disposed on the carrier and coupled to the grating. The optical communication module of claim 1, further comprising: a clamping member disposed on the reflective layer. The optical communication module of claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface further comprises a supporting surface, the supporting surface connecting the convex surface of the light emitting surface and the inclined surface of the reflecting surface, and the supporting surface is supported by On the substrate. The optical communication module of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of positioning portions and a plurality of first alignment portions, wherein the positioning portions and the first alignment portions are respectively located on the substrate. On both sides, the mirror group is fixed on the substrate by the positioning portions, the carrier plate includes a plurality of second alignment portions, and the substrate and the carrier plate respectively pass the first alignment portions and the plurality of portions Two pairs of parts and opposite each other. The optical communication module of claim 1, wherein the convex surface of the light incident surface has a different curvature from the convex surface of the light exit surface. An optical communication module includes: a carrier board having a through hole; an optical waveguide disposed on the carrier board; a mirror group disposed on the carrier board, wherein the mirror group is integrally formed, The mirror group includes a light incident surface, a light exit surface, and a reflective surface, the light incident surface includes a convex surface facing the optical waveguide, the light exit surface includes a convex surface in the through hole, and the reflective surface includes a connection surface a slope of the light incident surface and the light exit surface; a reflective layer disposed on the slope of the reflective surface; a circuit board, wherein the optical waveguide and the circuit board are respectively located on opposite sides of the carrier; and a light sensation The detector is disposed on the circuit board, wherein the photo sensor is located between the through hole and the circuit board, and the mirror group and the photo sensor are respectively located on opposite sides of the through hole. The optical communication module of claim 6, further comprising: a clamping member disposed on the reflective layer. The optical communication module of claim 6, wherein the light emitting surface further comprises a supporting surface, the supporting surface connecting the convex surface of the light emitting surface and the inclined surface of the reflecting surface, and the supporting surface is supported by On the carrier board. The optical communication module of claim 6, wherein the carrier board comprises a plurality of positioning portions and a plurality of first alignment portions, wherein the positioning portions and the first alignment portions are respectively located on the carrier board The mirror group is fixed on the carrier board by the positioning portions, the circuit board includes a plurality of second alignment portions, and the carrier board and the circuit board respectively pass the first alignment portions And the second alignment portions are aligned with each other. The optical communication module of claim 6, wherein the convex surface of the light incident surface and the convex surface of the light exit surface have different curvatures.